Tears of Akufo-Addo’s daughter and the price of victory

Photographs of the moment President John Dramani Mahama called Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to concede defeat have been released. The most touching images are the tears of Nana Akufo-Addo’s daughter, Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo. As her sister hugs her father, she looks on, her hand to her mouth, as tears fall freely.

In another touching photograph, Nana Dokua waits for her turn to hug Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the man whose hard work partly accounts for the realisation of her father’s dream. As Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo hugs Dr. Bawumia, Nana Dokua, with her hands on her chest, looks at Dr. Bawumia as if she’s trying to unravel a mystery surrounding the economist who has for the past eight years fought side-by-side the NPP’s Presidential candidate. Their third attempt at the presidency ended in a sweet victory.

Nana Dokua waits for her turn to hug Dr. Bawumia

Nana Dokua hugs Dr. Bawumia

President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo with his daughters

Nana Dokua’s tears can simply be described as tears of joy. But it seems it is more than that. It is more about what the family has endured over the years since their father got into frontline politics. Those who are not old enough to witness Nana Akufo-Addo’s youthful years as a fierce fighter for human rights are well aware of the vilification he has suffered in the past eight years. He has been described as arrogant, a drug dealer, a murderer, a dictator in his party, a tribal bigot and someone who cannot be a president in Ghana. Apart from corruption, any dust of accusation thrown at Akufo-Addo seems to stick like glue. It is the price one has to pay for public service.

In the last campaign rally before this election, he told his supporters to disregard those false rumours and accusations. “As I stand here, I have not killed anybody in my life,” he told the crowd.

In a short video released on social media before the election, Nana Akufo Addo’s children described him as “loving, humorous, awesome, decisive and honest.” What the family of Nana Akufo-Addo has endured will not end with his election as president. But he now has the opportunity to prove his accusers right or wrong. It is said that if someone speaks ill of you, live in such a way that nobody will believe them. In the next four years, Nana Akufo-Addo will live the in the public eye. His every step will be scrutinised more critically than before.

Today, many are those who wish they were Nana Akufo-Addo’s wife or children. The question is whether they would have been able to endure the years of insults, vilification and character assassination people in his party and other parties subjected him to. To every prize, there is a price. Before you envy someone’s prize, find out how much it cost them to get there.

For the family of Nana Akufo-Addo, it is not over. If they help him to fulfill what he promised Ghanaians, his legacy will be entrenched and they will live on his good name long after he is gone. If he fails, they will also live to endure more of what they have endured for the greater part of their lives.

Below are some of the photographs when President Mahama called to concede defeat. All the photographs are by courtesy Akufo-Addo’s Facebook page.